The "Cult of Conflicted African Nationalism"

[Kimani]

The “Cult of Conflicted African Nationalism”

... We (Africans) are presently so misguided in our thinking that we do not even take our own ideas seriously. Much of this misguided thinking in America can be attributed to the educational process, but if one looks again at other aspects of our culture one can see these assaults upon African nationalists (theorists and lay people) and African-centered ideas continually reinforced. We cannot understate the extent to which African-centered ideas are assaulted and dismissed, and the corresponding effects that these assaults have on our ability to transform our communities and lead our people in a more positive direction.

The consistent message we get from European culture is that confused ideas and conflicted behaviors from African nationalists are the norm. Rarely do we see African nationalists portrayed as being deserving of any amount of respect, serious attention, or consideration. It is necessary for us to return again to popular culture for clear evidence on this point. Not to take anything away from the creativity or overall theme of Spike Lee’s Bamboozled–the African nationalists are just one among many groups and cultural themes that Lee satirizes, but Lee’s characterization of the “Mau Mau” provides us with a quintessential case of how African nationalists are typically portrayed in such films and how African nationalists are viewed in the public eye. The “Mau Mau” in Lee’s film actually get their name from a 1950s, African nationalists group in Kenya who took oaths to oppose European rule and who lead armed rebellions–among many other tactics–to ultimately free Kenyans from European control. The Mau Mau in Kenya (and in the film) declared war on both Europeans and the Africans who supported them. In Bamboozled, the “Mau Mau” consists of 5 African-Americans and one white. The group is portrayed as being obsessed with all things black, which is evidenced in their names: “Hard Blak,” “Smooth Blak”(the female), “Mo Blak,” “Double Blak,” “1/16th Blak” (the white guy) and their leader “Big Blak Africa.” The “c” missing from the word black is not unintentional. While taking “40-ounces” and bottles of Hennessy to the “head,” and “philosophying” in one of their many anger filled sessions, “Smooth Blak” makes the following spontaneous observation: “We never conform to none of the white man rules and regulations. Later for this stuff on Webster. I recommend that we should from hereon–henceforth, and whatnot–spell black ‘b-l-a-k,’ not ‘b-l-a-c-k.’” The other members offer supportive remarks and gestures as she continues: “I don’t even know why they put the ‘c’ in there to begin with; they don’t even pronounce that shit.”

“Big Blak Africa” whose “slave” name is Julius has an awkward relationship with his sister (“Sloan” played by Jada Pinkett-Smith) who has become quite successful in the movie working in the television industry. His sister refuses to call him by his chosen name (Sloan: “Mama named you Julius. I’m gon’ call you Julius.”); she also refuses to offer him and the Mau Mau (they are also a rap group) an opportunity to audition for a television show at her network (he seems equally as disturbed by both of these refusals). In what seems as one of their many conversations surrounding the topic, Sloan asked “Big Blak Africa”: “Who and what are you revolting against?” In response, “Big Blak Africa,” summarized the Mau Mau’s position as follows: “We talking about revolution! People getting free! America! U. S. A.! K. K. K.! People hearts are fucked up! People are stupid in the mind!” The disdain that Sloan has toward her brother is forcibly displayed in her subsequent remarks: “Please stop!” she yelled, “You sound stupid! You sound retarded!” “Big Blak Africa”: “I sound retarded, but Master P can make millions grunting–‘Unnnh’–on records. If I had on platinum draws, I would be the niggah.” The salience of Big Blak Africa’s comments get lost in his inability to articulate the Mau Mau’s position clearly and the exchange is most likely interpreted by the average African in America as being merely comical, not as enlightening or as having even a grain of truth. Yet “Big Blak Africa,” and the “Mau Mau,”–through all their shortcomings and misarticulations–are espousing what are essentially African-centered ideas: our spiritual malaise (“people hearts are fucked up”), our mental entrapment (people are “stupid in the mind”), our tendency to allow Europeans to define things for us (their refusal to accept slave names and Webster definitions ), and their embracing and redefining of the word “black.” We (Africans) must realize that disdain for the conflicted African nationalists in films such as Bamboozled, usually translates into disdain for African nationalists and African-centered ideas generally.

Undercover Brother has it own version of the confused African nationalists embodied in “Conspiracy Brother” played by actor-comedian Dave Chappelle (This role has subsequently paid-off for Chappelle as he has made a successful career putting on similar performances in his HBO series The Dave Chappelle Show. He curiously ends each episode holding handfuls of money, shouting, “I’m rich...bitch!”). “Conspiracy Brother,” who frequently wears African attire in the film is portrayed as being equally as confused as the “Mau Mau” and he can be safely characterized as just plain dumb. “Conspiracy Brother” claims for the black race: Jesus, Babe Ruth, and the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken because, in the latter case, what do “white men know about herbs and spices” (Note the interspersing and over exaggeration of some ideas espoused by African nationalists with those that are purely nonsense). Even the most seemingly inoffensive comments can trigger an overreaction from “Conspiracy Brother.” On being greeted “good morning,” “Conspiracy Brother” launches into one of his many gyrates: As he pushed the cordial brother against the wall and began to frisk him, he stated, “Black up off me! Let me tell you about good morning, brother! Good is an ancient Anglo-Saxon word, ‘go-ah.’ Meaning, the absence of color (i.e. it is all good, or good will hunting). Meaning, I’m hunting niggahs. So if you say good morning to me, the only thing you are saying to me is, ‘I’m killing yo’ ass first thing in the morning.’” Undercover Brother is bewildered as to what he could say to Conspiracy Brother that would not cause such a reaction: He later switched his greeting to “hi.” For which Conspiracy Brother replied: “Hi! What do you mean hi? High yellow wanna be white? High like the white man wants to keep us?” Sadly, other contemporary examples can be presented: In “Don’t Be A Menace,” the African nationalists (again dressed in an African crown and Dashiki) argues against black-on-black crime and sings the praises of the black woman, while being charged with indiscriminately shooting another black man and stalking white women. When challenged, he stated that the brother he shot was “light-skinned” and that in trying to sleep with white women he is only doing to white men “what they did to us for 400 years.” In the more serious film Menace to Society (by the Hughes Brothers), the African nationalist emerges in this film as not being confused, but equally as disdainful because he is particularly annoying in his persistence to prevent his brothers from gang-banging, drinking, drugs dealing and eating pork. One brother goes so far as to forbid him from discussing any of that “Black Power shit” when they are riding in his car.

These black writers and film makers are drawing on the general negative perceptions of African nationalists by Africans and Europeans when they portray African nationalists as being basically conflicted and confused. Nonetheless, the African-nationalists caricatures in these films are not purely made-up; they most certainly have their counterparts in reality...

The extent to which the typical African nationalist in the community is able to clearly and reasonably understand and articulate an African-centered interpretation of society appears to be the extent to which African-centered social theories will gain currency among our population. Thus, it become imperative for African nationalists (theorists and laypeople alike) to more fully understand what we are talking about when we attempt to describe our social situation to others if we are ever going to regain our people’s confidence and provide them with the tools they need to see through the European facade. Under the present circumstances, most inarticulations by African nationalists are reinterpreted as evidence of the limitations of African nationalism and African-centered ideas generally. Whether the cultural products purport to be serious or satirical, most people who have had limited exposure to African-centered ideas will almost certainly get the cultural message that African-nationalists–and correspondingly African-centered ideas–are not to be taken seriously.

This is part of something i am working on now, any thoughts on the general idea, examples, counter-examples...

[Erzulie Danto]

Greetings Warrior Kimani,

give thanks for your interesting thread. i too have wanted to write about this trend esp in film: Black Nationalists and/or pro-Black individuals are often shaped as idiotic, misinformed, contradictory, violent without purpose, paranoid, and just plain foolish and crazy. i was soooo heated at Lee's representation of "mau mau" crew in Bamboolzed. considering how few of us really know about the real MauMau movement of Kenya this was extremely irresponsible of Lee. there seems to be an accepted notion that to be pro-Afrikan and to articulate the reality of white supremacy, wear Afrikan clothes, change your name to regard your Afrikan heritage, is to be caught in a time warp of the sixties or just plain stupid or worse "un-cool". there is definately a Black Nationalist caricature going around. and sadly even though its a joke, our people tend to believe or internalize the stereotype. even in the conscious community, the seriously conscious and dedicated often get sighed at or considered passe.

more examples for your essay: there is a really absurd and poorly done movie in which the Black nationalist male is submissive to his white woman wife. also Samuel L Jackson stars in a recent film about the TRC in South which whiffs of this. first Jackson's character( an African-American journalist covering the TRC seesions) is called Malcolm X by an African because he is clear that the whites in SA have wrecked havoc on the country, later his politics "mellow out", and all too soon he gets multicultural and he succumbs to the "beauty/sensitivity" of the white woman. i had to turn it off. in Crash, the Ludicris character, carjacker Black Nationalist??? can this help our movement be taken seriously, i don't think so.

God forbid, that there should be a contempory representation of a Black Nationalist/proAfrikan who is informed, articulate, has a global perspective, is a sista, a lover of Black people, "fashionable," reasonably angry, an activist, consistent with life and works, sucessful etc.
cause even in most Black films/shows we don't see this. but these people do exist, we are them, so why is "conspiracy brother" speaking for us all???

i think the impact of this is most harmful on our youth. i have seen Black students roll their eyes at a mention of Garvey and his so-called Back to Africa movement, while they've never read a word about the global UNIA movement. many consider proAfrikanisms old fashioned and boring. they think repatriation is impossible or pointless. or perhaps worse many youth get proAfrikanism jumbled up with hypermasculnity, hatefulness, an anti-education stance, a license to smoke their life away, mass consumption of Black-looking trickets that hold little symbolic value or the subtracting of Afrikanisms into cliched sound bites and unthoughtful rhetorics while folks remain loyal an American/white defined lifestyle.

Cabral, Toure, Ani, and many of our Elders have articulated the importance of culture as means to change minds. so for me, i think little of the leaders who have mirrored these stereotypes. we've been blessed with so many real revolutionaries. its our job to document our outstanding leaders, esp those beyond the sixities, as well be contemporary models.

we've got much work to do in all venues.

[GoodRain]

Alot of them roll their eyes at the likes of Garvey and Malcolm X because its allways the same old quotes and situations being recited to them in the same way. Its intentionally done by European societies.

[Im The Truth]

This is a perfect example of propaganda by the media. All Black Nationalist/Pan-Afrikanist are displayed in the media as stupid, idoits, bafoos, uncool, soft, mean, over-manly, sexist, hateful, criminial, etc, and all other negative attributes. All forms of media exploit, lie, and display this image.

With this image out there it sets the environment for dumb ass statements like "playing the race card", "oh you on the black sh*t", or "we gotta stop blaming the white man" (I hear this dumb ass sh*t even when I don't even use the word white let alone say white man). Because of the media (not only TV) many of Our People believe these statements to have validity.

But thanks to outlets like this site and all other Afrikan media We are able to combat their (white supremacist) media. Though I just saw a post on this forum that blow me away, the basis of that post was false information from their media. We (all Afrikans who have the factual information) are here for to spread the truth and combat lies.

Uhuru Sasa!
Odabo

[Kimani]

i knew my peeps would come through...thanks for the comments, examples, all very encouraging and on point; its my take that we cant expect much from "The Media" in regards to correcting these images, prolly just more of the same; i guess i am more concerned with how these negative images have gained so much momentum with our own people; although these images are partly created by the media i argue that they are also drawing on many of our people deeply-held views about us/ourselves; AND, that they have some basis in reality, although quite overexaggerated at times; Spike's protrayal of Huey P fits with these imagines somewhat too; Huey's life, persona was quite complicated, and its takes a somewhat sophisticated mind to really grasp the depth of Huey's intelligence and points; i think he captured this complexity well in that film; also, i listened to this group i saw speaking on the street once; they were dressed in Afrikan attire; had a number of pictures of Kemet posted in front of them; mic, speaker; and they were proclaiming 1) that slavery and the impoverishment of "blacks" was punishment from God; 2) that Afrika is not the motherland, Jerusalem is; 3) that Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Shakespere, Robin Hood, Beethoven, Nostradamus, Hannibal, Spartacus have alll been "white-washed"; i assumed they meant that these people were black; you could feel the disdain on the Black peoples faces that were watching them; they even started an argument with one young brother about him going to hell for some reason or another; they also accused him of attempting to steal their ideas; Now, these people are on the streets every week, very assertively conveying an image of us that fits quite nicely with the caricatures in the film i mentioned above; their image is our image, is what i argue; yes, no? do we have any obligation to do anything about these real-life caricatures of ourselves? any other "real-life" examples?

[Majadi]

My, My, the creator works in mysterious ways does S/HE not? As I sit here reading this thread, my wife is informing me of an exact situation taking place at Kent State University with my son and another brother who seems as confused as the characters in these plays (movies?) He espouses concepts that are without merit and plays on the emotions of the people without clear definition of agenda, needless to say my son is quite embarassed.

[Shombay]

Originally Posted by Erzulie Danto

Greetings Warrior Kimani,

give thanks for your interesting thread. i too have wanted to write about this trend esp in film: Black Nationalists and/or pro-Black individuals are often shaped as idiotic, misinformed, contradictory, violent without purpose, paranoid, and just plain foolish and crazy. i was soooo heated at Lee's representation of "mau mau" crew in Bamboolzed. considering how few of us really know about the real MauMau movement of Kenya this was extremely irresponsible of Lee. there seems to be an accepted notion that to be pro-Afrikan and to articulate the reality of white supremacy, wear Afrikan clothes, change your name to regard your Afrikan heritage, is to be caught in a time warp of the sixties or just plain stupid or worse "un-cool". there is definately a Black Nationalist caricature going around. and sadly even though its a joke, our people tend to believe or internalize the stereotype. even in the conscious community, the seriously conscious and dedicated often get sighed at or considered passe.

more examples for your essay: there is a really absurd and poorly done movie in which the Black nationalist male is submissive to his white woman wife. also Samuel L Jackson stars in a recent film about the TRC in South which whiffs of this. first Jackson's character( an African-American journalist covering the TRC seesions) is called Malcolm X by an African because he is clear that the whites in SA have wrecked havoc on the country, later his politics "mellow out", and all too soon he gets multicultural and he succumbs to the "beauty/sensitivity" of the white woman. i had to turn it off. in Crash, the Ludicris character, carjacker Black Nationalist??? can this help our movement be taken seriously, i don't think so.

God forbid, that there should be a contempory representation of a Black Nationalist/proAfrikan who is informed, articulate, has a global perspective, is a sista, a lover of Black people, "fashionable," reasonably angry, an activist, consistent with life and works, sucessful etc.
cause even in most Black films/shows we don't see this. but these people do exist, we are them, so why is "conspiracy brother" speaking for us all???

i think the impact of this is most harmful on our youth. i have seen Black students roll their eyes at a mention of Garvey and his so-called Back to Africa movement, while they've never read a word about the global UNIA movement. many consider proAfrikanisms old fashioned and boring. they think repatriation is impossible or pointless. or perhaps worse many youth get proAfrikanism jumbled up with hypermasculnity, hatefulness, an anti-education stance, a license to smoke their life away, mass consumption of Black-looking trickets that hold little symbolic value or the subtracting of Afrikanisms into cliched sound bites and unthoughtful rhetorics while folks remain loyal an American/white defined lifestyle.

Cabral, Toure, Ani, and many of our Elders have articulated the importance of culture as means to change minds. so for me, i think little of the leaders who have mirrored these stereotypes. we've been blessed with so many real revolutionaries. its our job to document our outstanding leaders, esp those beyond the sixities, as well be contemporary models.

we've got much work to do in all venues.

This a Beautiful Post Brother, When I first saw this thread I couldnt wait to respond, but you said everything for me....BLACK LOVE........SHOMBAY

[Shombay]

Black Love, Kimani

This is a big Thread. I commend you on this one. This is a point that have realized some time now.. You R definetly on point with this.

[Ta'Ziyah]

Peace to all.

It's a real shame how they portray us like that in the media. It seems like in the media, the words we say are often ignored or made fun of by others not in a sense "conscious" when it really should be taken in the opposite way. I'm glad I was able to find this forum so I could share a lot of views with more than just a few people and in turn continue to share news & views with people that are close to me & act on the phrase "each one, teach one".

Peace.

[Kimani]

the most difficult part of the essay for me has been trying to wrap it up; when i first started writing it i was a little concerned about how my ultimate conclusion would be received (there is quite more than is posted here);

Originally Posted by kimani

Thus, it becomes imperative for African nationalists (theorists and laypeople alike) to more fully understand what we are talking about when we attempt to describe our social situation to others if we are ever going to regain our people’s confidence and provide them with the tools they need to see through the European facade. Under the present circumstances, most inarticulations by African nationalists are reinterpreted as evidence of the limitations of African nationalism and African-centered ideas generally.

i think most of our people find it difficult to self-reflect in this way, Afrikan Nationalist included; which is really what i think my primary purpose of writing the essay, and posting it is--to compel Afrikan Nationalist to reflect more deeply about the things we say; it is something that demands to be said; we have to be as clear as possible when we attempt to articulate our positions to people; we have to take responsibility for some of the blame for not being clear, articulate enough, to allow our people to make reasonable decisions as to the validity of the claims we make; we ultimate know this but not many of us will say it too loudly; i have seen a post around here asking what "percent" of Welsings theories we support, this speaks to that recognition that some of our most revered, respected people have missed the mark some; thats okay and a part of our being human i think; as many of our elders have told us we must strive for clarity (benne so, i think); there was this quote that Lauryn Hill said on her last album when she was talking about her reluctance to put out one of her songs; she said that "she had to know what she was talking about before she told someone else what she was talking about"; that she had become like a "mad scientist" doing "experiments" on herself first to make sure that they "worked" before she gives them to us; i thought this was pretty profound, insightful, and showed her deep concern and love for us; bravery, courage can shows itself in multiple ways; maybe one of the highest forms of bravery is looking within ourselves and asking those tough questions; i do this to an extent; Lauryn Hill was brave to do this on her album in front of the world; to an extent, the people on this forum do this as well; but what are we to do with our bruthas and sistahs who refuse to do this, to clarify their ideas, to be self-critical; they are usually the ones who seek and gain the spotlight; it is a strong dynamic among us; possibly as dangerous as the sell-outs and Halfricans that we condemn so often.

[Im The Truth]

Good line of questioning & thought!

It is of vital importance that you said, "we have to take responsibility for some of the blame for not being clear, articulate enough, to allow our people to make reasonable decisions as to the validity of the claims we make". This is vitally important. I was always taught that if Our People don't get the message of African Liberation it is not the Peoples fault it is yours. It is the job/duty/responsibility to make the message as clear as possible. Not only as clear as possible but as comfortable as possible without swaying from the truth, and to take time and have patience with Our People so that they may understand, absorb, and ACCEPT (important!) the message. There is a big difference between hating yts, knowing Our history, and fighting for Afrikan Liberation.

To the next point, you said, "what are we to do with our bruthas and sistahs who refuse to do this, to clarify their ideas, to be self-critical; they are usually the ones who seek and gain the spotlight; it is a strong dynamic among us; possibly as dangerous as the sell-outs and Halfricans that we condemn so often." This is important because these people are extremely dangerous. Not only are they confused Africans, but they work (knowing or unknowing) in the interest of white supremacy. The media that we are talking about above are made in resemblance of these people. These people because of there exaggeratory nature, incorrect facts, and seemingly passion destroys the minds of Our People by confusing Our People, exploiting Our People, and overall alienating Our People from Afrikan Liberation as a whole.

As the movements of the 60s and 70s further exposed the fact of racism in ameriKKKa, these europeans had to progress to the next stage (and very deadly) of oppression which is neo-colonialism. For simplicity this basically means the enemy of Our People will not only be the form of a european or sell-out, but will be the blackest of black, the most revolutionary of revolutionaries.

Originally Posted by kimani

the most difficult part of the essay for me has been trying to wrap it up; when i first started writing it i was a little concerned about how my ultimate conclusion would be received (there is quite more than is posted here);

i think most of our people find it difficult to self-reflect in this way, Afrikan Nationalist included; which is really what i think my primary purpose of writing the essay, and posting it is--to compel Afrikan Nationalist to reflect more deeply about the things we say; it is something that demands to be said; we have to be as clear as possible when we attempt to articulate our positions to people; we have to take responsibility for some of the blame for not being clear, articulate enough, to allow our people to make reasonable decisions as to the validity of the claims we make; we ultimate know this but not many of us will say it too loudly; i have seen a post around here asking what "percent" of Welsings theories we support, this speaks to that recognition that some of our most revered, respected people have missed the mark some; thats okay and a part of our being human i think; as many of our elders have told us we must strive for clarity (benne so, i think); there was this quote that Lauryn Hill said on her last album when she was talking about her reluctance to put out one of her songs; she said that "she had to know what she was talking about before she told someone else what she was talking about"; that she had become like a "mad scientist" doing "experiments" on herself first to make sure that they "worked" before she gives them to us; i thought this was pretty profound, insightful, and showed her deep concern and love for us; bravery, courage can shows itself in multiple ways; maybe one of the highest forms of bravery is looking within ourselves and asking those tough questions; i do this to an extent; Lauryn Hill was brave to do this on her album in front of the world; to an extent, the people on this forum do this as well; but what are we to do with our bruthas and sistahs who refuse to do this, to clarify their ideas, to be self-critical; they are usually the ones who seek and gain the spotlight; it is a strong dynamic among us; possibly as dangerous as the sell-outs and Halfricans that we condemn so often.

[L.A. Brutha]

Has anybody seen the movie"Carlitos Way2:Rise to Power"

Theres a Character named "Reggie" he's a militant black panther spoof/mockery.He's a violent,stupid,alchololic,big mouthed,white girl loving,disprespectful,lazy punk and a coward.

[TureBandele]

Originally Posted by L.A. Brutha

Has anybody seen the movie"Carlitos Way2:Rise to Power"

Theres a Character named "Reggie" he's a militant black panther spoof/mockery.He's a violent,stupid,alchololic,big mouthed,white girl loving,disprespectful,lazy punk and a coward.

That was the stupidest film I've seen this year after phone booth.

[underdrum]

this is such an excellent thread that it needs to stand out! i give it a 5 star!

[manifestdestiny]

This is a excellent thread. however, David chapelle was holding money but his hands are in cuffs.